Private Dancer is one of the best selling albums of the 80'th with no less than seven single releases, which won several Grammy Awards in 1985. After the success with Let's Stay Together in 1983, Tina’s new record company Capitol wanted a complete album, which was recorded in only two weeks in London.
Al Greens Let’s Stay Together (from the 1983 B.E.F. session) and The Beatles Help, the first two singles, were produced and released before the recording of the album. What’s Love Got To Do With It was the first single to promote the album and topped the American charts while Tina was on tour with Lionel Richie. I Might Have Been Queen and Show Some Respect are very autobiographical and especially written for Tina. Better Be Good To Me (Spider), I Can’t Stand The Rain (Ann Peeples), Steel Claw (Paul Brady) and 1984 (David Bowie) are cover songs. Private Dancer was an unreleased Dire Straits song, because Mark Knopfler thought it's a song for a woman. The European single Help was not included in the original American release and the Australian edition contains the extra track Rock'n Roll Widow.
The album has been reissued several times: While Tina was on tour in Europe, it was released as a wonderful Picture Disc; in 1997 as a Centenary Edition from EMI in Europe; in 2008 from The Mail on Sunday in England as part of the promotion for Tina’s 50th Anniversary Tour; in 2015 as a 30th Anniversary Edition and once again as a 40th Anniversary Edition box set in 2025.
Photographer: Peter Ashworth, Brian Aris
Release: May 29, 1984
Label: Capitol / EMI
Format: Vinyl (Colored, Picture) / CD / Cassette / Digital
Charts: UK: #2 / Germany: #2 / Europe: #1 / USA: #3 (Pop), #1 (R&B) / Australia #7
Certifications: UK: 3x Platinum / Germany: 5x Gold, 2x Platinum / USA: 5x Platinum
Grammy: Album of the Year (Nomination) / Record of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocals for „What’s Love Got To Do With It“ / Best Female Rock Vocals for „Better Be Good To Me“ (1985)
Tracks
- I Might Have Been Queen 4:10
- What’s Love Got To Do With It 3:49
- Show Some Respect 3:18
- I Can’t Stand The Rain 3:41
- Private Dancer 7:11
- Let’s Stay Together 5:16
- Better Be Good To Me 5:10
- Steel Claw 3:48
- Help 4:30
- 1984 3:09
SHE'S HOT! The L.A. Times says: "She melts vinyl." People magazine calls her: "A peerless live performer." US says: "She's the "grittiest rock and roll singer in the world." And Rolling Stone gave her new album four stars. — Billboard - July 28, 1984
MTV Video Music Awards / WWF-Club / Wogan / Lørdagsbilaget / Wetten Dass..? / Countdown / Riva Del Garda / Solid Gold
TV-Appearances
Italy: Domenica in: Let’s Stay Together (November 27, 1983) / Premiatissima: Let’s Stay Together (1983) / Riva Del Garda: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Better Be Good To Me (September 28, 1984) / DeeJay: Interview (1984)
Germany: Na Sowas!: Let’s Stay Together (December 05, 1983) / Bananas: Let’s Stay Together (January 10, 1984), Private Dancer (October 02, 1984) / WWF-Club: Let’s Stay Together (January 13, 1984), What’s Love Got To Do With It (September 21, 1984) / Bei Bio: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Interview, Let’s Stay Together (September 27, 1984) / Wetten Dass…?: I Can’t Stand The Rain (May 18, 1985)
UK: The Tube: Concert (December 16, 1983) / Leo Sayer Show: Help (February 27, 1984) / Harty: Help (February 29, 1984) / Top of the Pops: Help (March 15, 1984) / Razzmatazz: Interview (April 18, 1984) / Late Late Breakfast Show: Better Be Good To Me (September 22, 1984) / BRIT Awards: What’s Love Got To Do With It (February 11, 1985) / Wogan: I Can’t Stand The Rain, Interview (February 18, 1985)
USA: Solid Gold: Let’s Stay Together (February 04, 1984), What’s Love Got To Do Wiht It (September 08, 1984), Private Dancer (February 09, 1985), Better Be Good To Me (February 23, 1985) / Late Show: Interview (May 31, 1984) / Friday Nights Video: Interview (September 14, 1984), Interview (1985) / MTV Video Music Awards: What’s Love Got To Do With It (September 14, 1984), Receiving Award (September 13, 1985) / Stars of Tomorrow: Interview (1984) / This Week’s Music: What’s Love Got To Do With It (1984) / American Music Awards: Private Dancer (January 28, 1985) / Saturday Night Live: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Private Dancer, Better Be Good To Me, Sketch (February 02, 1985) / Grammy Awards: What’s Love Got To Do With It (February 26, 1985) / Good Morning America: Interview (May 22, 1985)/ Bobbie Wygant: Interview (November 01, 1985) / An Intimate Talk with the Queen of Rock: Interview (1985) / Entertainment Tonight: Interview (1985) / MTV Videos: Host (1985) / What Makes Her Hot: Special (1985)
France: Hotel Raphael: Interview (September 24, 1984) / Cocoricocoboy: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Sketch (October 02, 1984) / Platine 45: Let’s Stay Together (February 15, 1984), What’s Love Got To Do With It (November 10, 1984) / Champs-Elysées: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Better Be Good To Me (May 11, 1985)
Spain: Cap d’any: Concert (December 31, 1983) Netherlands: Je Ziet Maar: Interview (January 27, 1984) / Countdown: Interview (1985) Australia: Countdown: Interview (October 14, 1984), Show Some Respect, I Can't Stand The Rain, Interview (December 16, 1984) Belgium: Hotel Américain: What’s Love Got To Do With It, Private Dancer (1984) Sweden: Unknown Show: Better Be Good To Me, Interview (1984) Norway: Lørdagsbilaget: Interview (February 23, 1985) Canada: Ann Rohmer: Interview (1985) / Good Rockin’ Tonite: Interview (1985) / NTV Newfoundland: Special (1985)